In mounting switches, receptacles, and other devices -hereinafter termed electrical devices in the specification and claims- in electrical boxes the electrician often encounters trouble in that either the tapped holes in the outlet box or plaster ring attached to the outlet box are damaged or filled with plaster, or the box is not plumb making it impossible to mount the switch and cover plate plumb within the tolerances allowed by the slotted mounting holes. At times other tradesmen have bent the box out of shape and then grouted it into place in that condition.
The electrician must therefore often clean the threaded holes with a tap, or remove plaster and concrete to replace or realign the box, replastering or grouting, and then install the electrical device and cover plate. The problem is particularly acute where several electrical devices are gang mounted in parallel in one box since in this case not only must each unit be plumb, but all must be in line horizontally. As in other like problems, the cost of building is greatly increased by the retrofit work described above.
In the prior art as seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,933,358 to Almcrantz, 1,345,503 to Newton, 920,408 to Scism, and 1,964,535 to Schrieber either the device, or the outlet box, or both must be modified from present standards to accomplish an attachment of the device to the outlet box at a variable depth within the box. There has been no means for the electrician to install electrical devices in canted positions in relation to the box so as to allow a plumb installation of the devices and cover plates where the box is not plumb or is bent out of shape.